Sounding-tube for navigators&#39; use.



No.- 663,850. Patented Dec. l8, I900. J. E. BENEDIQT.

SOUNDING TUBE FDR NAVIGATORS USE.

(Application filed June 19, 1900.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES [/VVE/VTOR I 6% 2. 6. flMC @ZMXZW A/larney 'ms nonms Pnzns cc. wno'rauwod WASHINGTON, v. c.

llnirrnn Smarts JAMES E. BENEDICT, OF WOODSIDE,

MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO ZERA L.

TANNER, OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY.

SOUNDING-TUBE FOR NAVIGATORS USE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 663,850, dated December 18, 190i).

Application filed June 19, 1900.

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES E. Bnnnmcr, a citizen of the United States,residing at Woodside, Montgomery county, and State of Maryland, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Sounding-Tubes for Navigators Use, of which the followingis a specification, reference being bad therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in tubes for the purpose of sounding the depth of water.

The invention is an improvement on the patent of Tanner and Blish, No. 617,451, dated January 10, 1899.

The patent of Tanner and Blish describes a glass tube With a ground or etched interior surface into which the water enters against air-pressure with a pressure proportioned to the depth of immersion. The wetting of the ground or etched surface of the interior of the tube makes the portion which was opaque when dry transparent when wet, so that the depth of immersion can be observed for some time until the tube is dry. An objection found to occur with such tubes is that the water creeps along the bore by capillary action or for some other reason, and that if measurement be not taken at once after immersion in sounding some inaccuracy may occur. This objection I overcome by making the ground or normally opaque inner surface of the glass tube in sections divided from each other by intermediate surfaces of smooth or unground glass, along which there is little or no tendency of water to creep. A very convenient manner of dividing the surfaces is by alternate screw-threaded portions of plane and ground glass.

Figure 1 is a perspective view intended to illustrate a glass tube having its inner surface divided into sections of plane or smooth and ground or opaque glass. Fig. 2 is an enlarged section of a tube, showing internal coating before etching. Figs. 3 and 4c are elevations of tubes, showing general arrangement of internal markings as seen through the glass.

The tubes I prefer are from one and onehalf to three millimeters bore and perhaps of equal thickness, with pretty uniform bore.

fierial No. 20,885. (No model.)

Such tubes can be bought in open market in many places. About one half or threefourths meter in length gives a tube which may be conveniently used, as described in the patent referred to. Such tubes A may be coated on the inner surface by an acidresisting wax or the like by passing a swab or brush saturated with melted Wax through the tube. A material known as etching ground, of a waxy nature, has been used and applied to the tubes, as indicated at B, Fig. 2. The tube being internally coated sec tions of the Waxy material may be removed by a tool of proper character. A rod with projecting spurs might be introduced, and its rotation would remove parts of the Wax. The best way known to me, however, is the introduction of a rod with spring-tooth cutters or scrapers thereon, preferably at opposite sides. Such a rod may be advanced into the glass tube and rotated by wellknown means, similar to that used in threading nuts. I prefer a tool with two cutters, moving with a pitch of about forty to the inch, so that the wax or etching ground is removed from the interior of the tube in screw-threaded form, presenting about eighty spiral lines to the inch; but the turns may be more or less numerous and the lines of wax left in the tube may be broader or narrower than the cu t-away portion. The waxy material having been removed from sections of the inside of the tube, the interior of the tube unprotected by the wax is etched by the introduction of hydrofluoric acid or its gases by any suitable means. The effect of the acid on the glass is to etch the surface not protected by wax, giving an appearance of a ground-glass screw-thread in the bore of the tube. After the glass tube is sufficiently etched the remaining Wax may be quickly removed by heat, as by passing steam through the tube. This will clean the entire inner surface of the tube, which will then present the appearance of a glass tube with an opaque spiral line on its inner surface, said line alternating with a line or lines of transparent glass. The tube so constructed is completed by closing one end hermetically, as by the metallic cap 0, cemented in place, as described in the patent aforesaid.

The effect of the spiral lines or alternating a spiral line is, in fact, continuous, moisture sections of smooth or transparent and opaque or ground glass is to prevent the creeping of moisture along the tube. The water entering the tube will render that part which it covers transparent, While the dry portion will show the opaque lines or threads. By gaging the tube in manner as described in the patent or as is done with other similar tubes for sounding purposes the depth of immersion can be told with much certainty. The tubes will'remain transparent as to the wetted portion for an hour or more under ordinary conditions, unless means be taken for drying the tube. A minute or two suffices to dry the tube by drawing air through it, as described in the patent referred to.

My theory of the operation of my device is that the creeping of moisture in tubes after the air-pressure is removed is probably due to capillary action and is overcome by the presentation of alternate smooth and rough surfaces in the interior of the tube. While does not seem to follow the spiral, but has a tendency to move in direct line-that is, in the direction of the length of the tube. It

is probable that an interior coating of varnish or some roughening material alternating with the smooth surfaces on the glass might produce a similar result in the pre- Therefore 1 vention of creeping of moisture.

while I consider the alternations of ground and smooth glass surfaces on the interior of the tube as being the best form of the invention I desire my claims to cover the invention in a broad sense.

What I claim is l. A glass tube for use of navigators in sounding having its interior covered with alternating sections of smooth and roughened glass extending entirely around the inner surface of the tube.

2. A transparent tube, having its interior surface provided with a spiral translucent line extending entirely around the tube, substantially as described.

3. A glass tube having a normally plane interior with a spiral translucent line etched therein and extending mainly throughout the length of the tube.

4. A glass tube forv use of navigators in sounding, having its interior divided into sections presenting alternating smooth and rough surfaces to the movement-of a liquid lengthwise of the tube.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence df two witnesses.

JAMES E. BENEDICT.

Witnesses:

ALFRED B. DENT, CHAS. K. DAVIES. 

